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THOMAS JUDS ON, OF hAITEAWAN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND- HENRY A. ALDEN, SAME PLACE.

* Letters Patent No.'75,683, dated llarc7t17, 1868.

IMPROVED TIE-STRAP.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. JUJ-SON, of Matteewan, in the ceunty of Dutchcss, und State of New York, have invented certztin new and useful Iuiprovements in H itching 0rI-Iolding-Strups for Horses; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, end exact description of the seme, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. Y

When a horse is hitehed ton post or ir. his stnll, it is necessary that the strnp by which he. i.s held should be of sufficient length to allow him a certain freedom of motion, se that,'for instance, he muy be able to reach the hay a.heve him, or to lic down, or to move some distance from the place Where he is tied. The strap, for this reason, is so slack ut times that the horse will step upon it or catch his leg ever it, and his endea.vors to free himself when thus entangled frequently occusion the breaking or injury of the strap. To obviate this difiiculty, the hitching-strap has sometimes been made wholly or purtly of un elstie material, which will stretch or contract'mccording to the movement of the animal; but when mude of this material it is much too weak to withstsnd the strairi to which it is often subjeeted, besides being open to other 0bjeetions.

The object of my invention is to remedy these ditheulties; and to this end it eonsists of the combination,-

with zt strap of leather, or other ordinury or suitable material, of en elustie band or spring for taking up the sleck of the strup, under such un arrangement that When the strap is extended its full length, any further strain 4vill be borne directly by the strap and not by the spring. The spring, therefore, is only used to preveritthe slnckening ofthe strap, and is not subjeeted to any undue or excessive Stltlll, which can come only upon the strup. A A

To enable those skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will how proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or muy be'cerried into eil'ect, by reference to the accompsnyng drnwings, in which- Figure 1 represents my improved hitching-strap when eontracted. Figure 2 is a. representation of the same when extended to its full length.. A is "the hitehing or halter-strup, which is made of leather or other material usually employed for such purpose. To illustrate more fully the nature of my invention, it is represented attached to the headstall of an ordinary halter upon a. horses head. In order to take up the slztck of the strsp, so that the letter shall be held sufiiciently tant et all times, an elustic band or spring, a, is employed, es shown in fig. 1.- The strap is folded so as to form one or mote folds, b, at any pointbetween its ends and the elastic band passing losly -through h0les formed in these folds, is firmly united or attached ut each end, e, to the strap, by any suitable means. When the elastic device is not stret-ched it will hold. the fdlds of the strap, as represented in fig. 1, and

while yielding so as t allow the strap to be extended to its full length, will atall t1mes take up any slack there may happen to be. When, howver, the stra.p is fully extended, es shown in fig. 2, the elastic device will be relieved from any further or ex cessive strain, which will be berne directly by, the strup.

The band a muy be made of vulcenized rubber or any other suitable material, or :t metallie spiral spring muy be *employed foi the purpose.

Any number of folds may be formed on the strz1p. The holes formed in the folds b, between the points e c, are slightly larger than the diameter of the band which passos through them, se as to allow the necessary play to the letter. V

Having now described my invention, and the munner in which the same is or muy be carried into effect, \\'hut I claim, und desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with a. hitching or hulter-strep, made of any ordinary or suitable material, of en elastic hand or spring, applied to said strap substantially in the muuner and for the purposes herein shown and set forth. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this spcification before two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS S. JUDSON.

Witnesses:

CONRAD GUTGESELL, JNO. C. N OE. 

